tapas | TCS

Romesco Sauce is a Spanish pepper and tomato based sauce from the region of Cataluña, that dates back to the 15 th century, thanks to Christopher Columbus who brought back the Romesco peppers from his travels in the America’s which are the base for this sauce.
You can find Romesco sauce everywhere in Spain, it’s very popular and can be eaten with everything from just bread to grilled fish, grilled meat or vegetables.

The original version is with dried peppers, almonds, some times hazelnuts as well, bread, garlic etc…
I have come up with a cheats version that can be done in 5 minutes and it is addictively delicious.

INGREDIENTS:

6 tbsp. Olive oil
1 small onion, peeled and chopped fine
2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
1 jar roasted red bell peppers (15 oz. jar / 500 ml), drained
1/4 cup almond butter (the roasted kind)
1/3 cup sun dried tomatoes in olive oil
1/3 cup parsley, roughly a handful
1-2 tsp. red wine vinegar
3/4 tsp. salt
fresh black pepper
1 tsp. smoked paprika (preferably the Spanish kind)

INSTRUCTIONS:

Place the sun dried tomatoes in a bowl and cover with very hot water. Let sit for five minutes then drain.
On medium heat, fry onion and garlic in two tablespoons of oil, until light golden and just soft. Let cool a bit.

In a food processor, add the pepper, the onions and garlic, almond butter, drained sun dried tomatoes, parsley, vinegar, salt, pepper, paprika and the remaining 4 tablespoons of olive oil.
Turn on the food processor and blend until smooth. That’s it!

I use only one teaspoon of vinegar but you can add more depending on how acidic you like it.

The sauce will keep in the refrigerator for about five days in a glass container or jar, but I can assure you, you will be putting it on everything.

Enjoy!

Spicy, garlicky, sweet, sticky skillet shrimp with fresh lime and baby Basil. This recipe is so good and super easy, it just take 10 minutes to make!

Hopefully you already have a pack of Shrimp in the freezer, and otherwise add it to your shopping list so you can make this delicious recipe this week. Having Shrimp in the freezer is probably one of the best ingredients to have on hand for a super fast last minute dinner. You can make so much with just a bag of Shrimp…
From Tacos to Paella, and from Curry to Sandwiches, the possibilities are endless. They cook in no-time and everybody loves Shrimp. All good reasons to have a good supply in your freezer. However when I’m in a hurry or just in the mood for Shrimp, I turn to this recipe, Fiery, Garlicky Shrimp!
I have made this recipe for two as a main course, but you can simply double as needed. Serve with plenty of French bread to mop up the juices.

This recipe comes together very quickly, so have all your ingredients ready before you start cooking.

The tiny basil I happened to find at the market, it looked so cute and it is really sweet (and pretty). So if you can find it, great. But if not regular basil is fine too.

Serves: 2 as a main or 4 as a starter
Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cooking Time: 5 Minutes
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INGREDIENTS:

• 1 lb. shrimp (I leave the shell on)*
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 – 1 1/2 tsp. Sambal Oelek
• 1 tbsp. honey
• juice of half a lime
• a sprinkle of salt
• 1 small glass dry white wine
• 2 tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
• a small handful of baby basil and lime/lemon wedges to serve

METHOD:

Rinse the shrimp with cold water. Pat dry with kitchen paper and set aside.
Heat up a skillet (cast-iron preferred), add the olive oil. When very hot add the shrimp and leave for two minutes without moving until you see the pink color coming thru.
Now turn them over and add the garlic slices and the Sambal. Leave for a minute and then toss the shrimp around by shaking the pan and flipping the shrimp if you can otherwise use a spoon.
Add the honey and then the lime juice and white wine and stir around to cover.
Finely add the sweet tiny basil and add the cold butter to bind the sauce.
Garnish with more baby basil and serve immediately with lime/lemon wedges.

*I leave the shell on because they add so much flavor and we love peeling them and eating with our hands, but if you prefer peeled shrimp, that’s fine too.

Enjoy!